Internal combustion engine



Jul 8, 1941. c, E, BURKE 2,248,334

I INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 26 -F g- E a! 30 as as I it .27

marvff-vsp;

y 3, 1941- c. E. BURKE 2248,1534 v INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Application March 18, 1940, Serial No. 324,550

7 Claims.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines, particularly having reference to a new type of engine providing an improved arrange-- ment of parts and elements.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement of pistons and operating elements directly associated therewith by which a pair of pistons may be connected for operation as a unit securing thereby improved piston performance.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel and improved means for transmission of power from the piston units to adrive shaft, including use of equalizer bars between opposing units adapted to be oscillated thereby and means actuated by the equalizer bars'for drivingthe engine shaft. A still further object of the invention is to provide means of adjustment of the driving connection for the equalizer bars to vary the piston stroke and resultant displacement.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the accompanying description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an engine embodying my improvements, certainparts being shown broken away and parts, including the cylinder block and casing, being shown'in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the assembly with parts in horizontal section and certain parts broken away or removed.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the assembly with the cylinder block and casing in vertical section.

Fig. 4 is a detail end view of a portion of the assembly showing the equalizer control.

Fig. 5 is aperspective of certain parts illusbut endwise adjustable.

Within each of the cylinders is mounted for reciprocation a piston 8 with piston rod 9. The pistons are of the skirtless type and operate in pairs, each pair being fastened to a bar H]. The mountings for the two piston bars and associated parts are identical for which reason like numerals are applied to both.

The mounting of the piston bars Hi can best be understood by reference to Figure 5. Each of the bars provides a pair of cylindrical blocks |l-l lwith connecting web l2, the blocks being bored for threaded engagement of the piston rods 9, the connection of the piston rods being rigid The bars further pro-" vide lateral trunnions Iii-l3. Said. trunnions are receivable in'sleeves I4 each carried by an assembly of plates l5 and I6 mounted spaced apart by pins I1 and l8.

trating the mounting of the piston bar and operative connection with the equalizer bar.

Fig. 6 is 'a side view of the equalizer arm and control.

Having reference to the drawings there is shown a cylinder block I of conventional design, the present showing providing for an assembly of four cylinders mounted in pairs and indicated by the numerals 2-4 and 35. The lower part of the block I provides an enlarged integral section 6 to which is secured a lower section 1 bolted thereto, said. sections combining to form a housing for the cylinder blocks or bars, equalizer bars and otherv operating elements hereinafter described.

For confining movement of the piston bars there are provided arms [9 and 20 anchored by studs 2| to the engine housing; the inner ends of said arms engaging the pins l1. Thepiston bars move in vertical planes keeping the piston rods in perfect alignment allowing the pistons to float freely without friction, vibration or wear and without slapping.

The driving connection for the pistons is through the medium of equalizer bars 22 and 23 which connect to the pins [8 and extend between the piston blocks of opposing 'pairs of pistons. The bars 22 and 23 carry a rod or transvese shaft 24 located intermediate their length, and mounted for rotation in suitable bearings provided in the sides of section 1 of the engine housing.

In the engine block, between the inders, is journalled the main drive shaft 25 carrying a fly wheel 26 and crank wheel 21 with crank pin 28 to which attaches a connecting rod 29. On the shaft 24' is fixed a driving arm assembly, the other end of which connects to th rod 29.

The driving arm assembly is designed to be longitudinally adjustable to vary the stroke of the pistons with resultant variation in compre'ssion. See particularly Figures 4 and 6. Said assembly includes a rod 30 with forked head 3| with which engages the connecting rod 29 by a pin 32. The rod 30 is mounted to be endwise shifted and is threaded in a block 33 which forms the one end of the main section of the The main section of the driving arm assembly is fixed to shaft-24.

pairs of cyl- To the end of rod lil is secureda bevel gear wheel 36 meshing with a similar bevel gear wheel 36 loose on a shaft 31 mounted fixed in the main section 34 of the driving arm assembly. On the shaft 31, in fixed relation to gear wheel 38. is a ratchet wheel 38.

stroke. A link 42 on the lever 38 is intended for remote control of the lever. For holding lever 38 normally neutral a spring 48 is provided engaged to said lever and to a lug 44 integral on the section casing 'l.

The remaining mechanism of the engine is largely conventional in design and arrangement. There are timing gears 45 and 46 on the drive shaft 25 and a stub shaft 41 respectively, the stub shaft being mounted in the engine housing. Shaft 41 carries a cam 48 for actuation of followers on a tappet arm 48 by which tappet rods 50 may be lifted to unseat valves Ii against the tension of springs 62. There is also shown an intake at 53 and spark plugs 54. The housing for the mechanism. provides the usual oil sumps, and there are included an. auxiliary housing 55 for the equalizer arm assembly and connections and a housing 58 for the timing gears.

In the operation of the engine the pairs ofpistons 2-4 and 3-5 operate as units, but pistons of-a unit are firing at different times. Thatis when one is on the intake stroke the other is firing, and when one is compressing the other is exhausting. The equalizer bars are oscillated by the vertical movement imparted to the piston bars causing arm assembly 34 to actuate the crank wheel through the medium of connecting rod 28 and crank pin 28.

To vary the piston stroke the control link 42 can. be used to turn wheel 38 by means of pawl 4| rotating gear wheel 85 through gear wheel 36 to turn the rod 30 and displace the forked head 3i endwise and vary the piston stroke.

Practical experiments show an engine constructed as hereinbefore described to be a considerable improvement over the ordinary type of engine, resulting in increased speed of operation, longer wearing qualities, and economy oi operation. While I have herein described a preferred embodiment of the invention it is obvious that changes in form and construction of parts and elements as herein described may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, more particularly as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. An internal combustion engine including pairs of oppositely mounted pistons, piston rods for the pistons, a piston bar rigidly connecting each pair of piston rods for operation of the connected pistons as a unit, equalizer bars connecting piston bars of opposing pairs of pistons, a drive shaft, an arm assembly in fixed attachment to the equalizer bar, said assembly including a section mounted to be endwise adjustable, a rod forming a driving connection to the endfor reciprocation in the cylinders, piston rods for the pistons, a piston bar for each pair of pistons to which the piston rods rigidly attach for operation of each pair of pistons as a unit, an assembly of plates carried at opposite ends of each of the piston bars intermediately pivotally mounted thereon, pivotally connected arms between the upper ends ofeach assembly of plates wise adjustable section of the arm assembly for and the engine casing, equalizer bars connected to the opposite ends of the assembly of plates;v for opposing piston bars, means providing afixed pivotal mounting for oscillation of the equalizer bars, a drive shaft, a crank wheel on the drive shaft including a crank pin, an arm mounted fixed on the equalizer bars and .a connecting rod P for, a driving arm secured to said shaft, a main shaft, and a driving connection between the driving arm and main shaft said connection including a connecting rod in pivotal attachment to the driving arm.

4. An internal combustion engine including two opposing pairs of cylinders, pistons for reciprocation in the cylinders, piston rods for the pistons, a piston bar for each pair of pistons to which the piston rods attach for'operation of each pair of pistons as a unit, an equalizer bar assembly, means forming a pivotal operative connection between the piston bars and said assembly, a transverse shaft on which said assembly is carried, said shaft being mounted for rotation in fixed bearing members, and a power take off including a driving arm on said shaft and a connecting rod with pivotal connection to the driving arm.

5. In an internal combustion engine two pairs the driving arm and crank means, and means for variation in the effective length of the driving arm. 7

6. In an internal combustion engine including an engine casing and two pairs of oppositely mounted cylinders therein, pistons for reciprocation in the cylinders, piston rods for the pistons, a piston bar for each pair of pistons to which the piston rods attach, each pair of pistons operating as a unit, plates carried by the piston bars pivotally mounted thereon, guide arms for each piston bar, said arms having pivotal connections with the piston bar plates and engine casing, equalizer bars pivotally connected to opposing piston bar plates, a transverse shaft for oscillation of the equalizer bars, said shaft being mounted for rotation in fixed bearing members. and a power take oi! including a drivingarm on the transverse shaft and connecting rod with pivotal connection to the driving arm.

'I. In an internal combustion engineincluding oppositely mounted pairs of cylinders, pistons for reciprocation in the cylinders, piston rodsior the pistons, a piston bar for each pair of pistons, trunniqns on the piston bar ends, plates intermediately mounted loose on the trunnions, equalizer bars mounted for oscillation between the piston bars, means forming a pivotal connection between the equalizer bars and plates, and guide arms pivotally connected to said plates and to the engine casing, the connection oi the guide arms and equalizer bars 10 being to opposite ends of the plates.

CARL ELMER BURKE. 

